Protective arrangement



March 17, 1970 H. PFAFF ETAL I PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENT w 9 M Z/ 67/ z/ 7% Filed Sent. 21, 1967 March 17, 1970 AF ETAL PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sent. 21, 1967 March 17,1970 H. PF'AFF ETAL 3,500,773

PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 21, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet s Fig 3 March 17,1970 app-APP 'ETAL 3,500,773

PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 21, 1967 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.4

United States Patent Oifice 3,500,773 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 3,500,773 PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENT Herbert Pfaff and Walter Lasseur, Meppen, and Friedhelm Hillebrand, Osnabruck, Germany, assignors to Klockner-Werke AG, Duisburg, Germany Filed Sept. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 669,664 Claims priority, application 2fifrmany, Sept. 21, 1966,

Int. Cl. E04b 2/42 US. Cl. 109-81 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to protective arrangements in general, and more particularly to protective arrangements of the type designed for protecting the exposed side of a support means against impacting by objects moving at high velocity. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to protective arrangements for protecting the exposed side of a building or similar structure against missiles and fragments thereof.

It is frequently necessary to protect structures, such as walls, buildings, portions of buildings, and the like, against damage by missiles or fragments thereof. The term missile here refers broadly to objects travelling at high velocity, for instance bullets, shells, fragments of bullets or shells, and the like. Protection against such objects is desired in a variety of circumstances, of which the protection of observation block houses and similar structures on shooting ranges or test ranges is but a single example.

The protection which has been provided in such circumstances has heretofore consisted in applying steel cover plates to the surfaces to be shielded against impacting of high velocity objects. However, it has been found that this is not an entirely satisfactory solution for various reasons, including economic considerations. If the cover plate or plates is constructed from a very hard material, such as a very hard steel, it is incapable of absorbing and destroying the kinetic energy of the impinging object and, in view of the very high velocities which are encountered particularly on shooting ranges, such hard material is likely to shatter on receiving the impact of such an object. The use of relatively soft material, which allows for destruction of the kinetic energy of the high-velocity object, requires on the other hand a very considerable material thickness which renders such a solution economically impossible, or, if a smaller thickness is selected, the thus-constructed cover plate will be deformed and/or destroyed beyond all usefulness within a very short period of time, that is upon receiving the impact of only a few of the objects which are to be prevented from reaching the exposed side to be protected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the disadvantages set forth above, and provides a highly advantageous protective arrangement.

More particularly, the present invention provides a protective arrangement including a cover plate which is subject to only minor deformations on impacting by high-velocity objects, but capable of destroying the kinetic energy of such objects.

The cover plate according to the present invention requires a relatively small technological and therefore economic expenditure, and has been found to have a particularly long useful life expectancy under the circumstances in which it is to be employed.

In accordance with one feature of our invention we provide a protective arrangement which includes support means having an exposed surface which is to be protected against impacting by objects moving at high velocity, at least one penetration-resisting cover plate mounted on said support means spaced from the surface with freedom of movement relative thereto, and resilient means interposed between the support means and the cover plate and operative for resiliently resisting movement of the cover plate with reference to the surface to thereby assist in absorbing the kinetic energy of objects impacting the cover plate.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of our invention the cover plate is a laminar plate in that it consists of at least two layers of material, one of which, namely the one which is closest to the exposed side of the structure to be protected, is relatively soft whereas the other layer, the one which faces away from the exposed side of the structure to be protected, is very hard.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates that the resilient means provide in effect a twostage resilient damping of the movement of the cover plate towards the exposed side of the structure to be pro tected, the first or initial stage opposing relatively small force to the movement of the plate, whereas the final or subsequent stage opposes considerably greater force so as to be capable of absorbing the strong forces which result from the deformation of the layer of softer material and/or the deformation of the impacting high-velocity object. Thus, it will be seen that the kinetic energy is largely absorbed by the resilient means. The combination of the softer layer or layers with the harder layer or layers largely eliminates the danger of shattering of the latter layers. Even if the objects manage to penetrate the cover plate their kinetic energy is destroyed to such an extent that they represent little or no dang r to the structure to be protected, while the damage to the cover plate itself remains localizedto the channel formed in the plate by travel of the high-velocity object therethrough.

In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of our invention, the cover plate is mounted on the exposed side of the structure to be protected by cooperating mounting elements which of course mount the cover plate with freedom of movement towards and away from the exposed side. These mounting elements may consist of U- shaped elements which are respectively embedded in the cover plate and in the exposed side of the support structure, with the open side of the elements embedded in the support structure facing upwardly and the open side of the elements embedded in the cover plate facing downwardly, and with these elements inter-engaging with one another. Of course, other means for securing these elewiched between two outer layers of relatively hard material, and the mounting elements can be for instance welded to the softer layer at the exposed edge faces thereof.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration for the purpose of explaining the principle of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through an arrangement embodying our novel invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a resilient means for use in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a resilient means different from that shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that the supporting structure to be protected, which here is assumed to be a concrete wall is identified with reference numeral 1. The cover plate 9 consists in this exemplary illustration of a first layer of relatively hard material and a second layer 11 of relatively soft material. The layer 11 is closer to the exposed side of the wall 1 than the layer 10. Cover plate 9 is mounted on the wall 1 with freedom of movement towards and away therefrom, in a manner which will subsequently be explained in more detail. Interposed between the cover plate 9 and the wall 1 are resilient means in form of spring means 5 and 6, with the spring means 6 in this illustration assumed to be rubber springs or springs of other elastomeric material, whereas the spring means metallic material. It will be understood that deformation of the spring means 6 takes place very readily whereas deformation of the spring means 5 takes place progressively and occurs only upon exertion of relatively strong forces.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in more detail. The cover plate is again identified with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1, the wall to be protected is identified with reference numeral '1, and the direction of impact of the high-velocity objects upon the cover plate 9 is identified by the arrows 12. The only difference in the cover plate 9 of FIG. 2 over that shown in FIG. 1 is that in FIG. 2 the cover plate 9 will be seen to consist of three layers, namely a relatively soft layer 11 embedded between two relatively hard layers 10. Cover plate 9 is secured to the wall 1 where freedom of movement towards and away therefrom by means of the cooperating mounting elements 7 and 8. The mounting element 7 will be seen to consist of an upwardly open U- shaped member which is partly embedded in the wall 1 whereas the projecting portion defines an upwardly open channel, whereas the mounting element 8 is a downwardly directed hook-shaped member which interengages in the channel of the outwardly projecting portion of the mounting element 7. Thus, the plate 9 is free to move in the direction towards the wall 1, and in the direction away from the wall 1 to the extent to which this is permitted by the mounting elements 7 and 8.

The resilient means is again identified with reference numerals 5 and 6. It will be seen that it is secured to the wall 1 via a rail 2 which is embedded in the wall and a bolt 3 whose head is received within the hollow rail 2 and which is connected to the resilient means. FIG. 2 makes clear that the spring means 5 is embedded in the elastomeric material of the spring means 6 so that its 5 is assumed to be composed of elastically deformable elastic deformation will take place only after the spring means 6 has already been elastically deformed by movement of the plate 9 in the direction towards the wall 1, and only after deformation of the spring means 6 has taken place to the desired extent.

FIG. 3 illustrates another possible embodiment of the resilient means, and more specifically of the elastomeric spring means 6. It will be seen that here the spring means 5 of resiliently deformable metallic material is not embedded in the elastomeric material of the spring means 6, and is mounted separately therefrom. It is not illustrated in FIG. 3 because the figure is directed specifically to an explanation of a specific embodiment of the spring means 6. The double-headed arrow 13 in FIG. 3 indicates the extent to which the spring means 6 is deformed in response to impacting of high-velocity objects on the cover plate 9 in the direction indicated by the arrows 12 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4, finally, illuminates a further embodiment of the resilient means wherein a block or layer 15 of elastomeric material is sandwiched between two layers 14 of metallic material, such as steel. The double-headed arrow 13 in FIG. 4 again indicates the extent to which the resilient means is compressed in response to the movement of the cover plate 9 in the direction of the double-headed arrows shown in FIG. 2.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of arrangements differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a protective arrangement for protecting the exposed side of a support structure against highvelocity objects, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A protective arrangement of the character described comprising, in combination, support means having an exposed surface which is to be protected against impacting by objects moving at high velocity; at least one penetration-resistant cover plate mounted on said support means spaced from said surface with freedom of movement relative thereto; and composite spring means interposed between said cover plate and support means, said composite spring means including first spring means operative for initially resiliently resisting movement of said cover plate relative to said surface with a small force in response to impact of an object, and second spring means operative for subsequently resisting movement of said cover plate with a greater force.

2. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover plate is a laminar plate consisting of steel.

3. An arrangement as defined in claim 1; and further comprising cooperating mounting means provided on said support means and said cover plate and mounting the latter on the former.

4. An arrangement as defined in claim 3, wherein said exposed surface is substantially vertical, said mounting means comprising a first mounting element secured to said support means and having an upwardly open channel-shaped portion projecting outwardly beyond said surface, and a second mounting element secured to said cover plate and having a downwardly open channel-shaped portion engaging with said upwardly open portion of said first mounting element.

5. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover plate is a laminar plate.

6. An arrangement as defined in claim 5, wherein said cover plate consists of at least two layers, one of which is harder than the other.

7. An arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein said other layer faces towards said surface, and said one layer faces away from said surface. I

8. A protective arrangement of the character described comprising, in combination, support means having an exposed surface which is to be protected against impacting by objects moving at high velocity; at least one penetration-resistant cover plate mounted on said support spaced from said surface with freedom of movement relative thereto; and composite spring means interposed between said cover plate and support means, said composite spring References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 604,940 5/ 1898 Matthews 109-81 1,287,910 12/1918 De Rosa 10981 1,294,920 2/ 1919 Lemiszczak 10981 1,829,159 10/1931 Sheahan 52--488 2,405,590 8/1946 Mason 109-81 3,264,793 8/ 1966 Schlensker 525 11 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner 

